|
|
Ad Code: 3
|
from Auction House Records.
Mural Study for San Antonio Post Office
Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee
|
|
|
This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Denver, Colorado where she studied at the Student School of Art, Ruth Auger became an artist of the West, with her most recognized achievement being six murals, completed in 1937 and covering 1136 square feet, of the history of the Cherokee Strip Run for the courthouse in Enid, Oklahoma. "The cattle portrayed in the mural bear registered Texas brands selected by the University of Texas, Austin". (Powers 18).
As a painted, she also depicted army officer and other portraits, horse studies, mountain landscapes, and cowboy figures.
In 1905 she won a scholarship to the New York School of Art, where she was a student of Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase. About ten years later, she studied in California at Carmel for summer school, the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.
She spent many years in the newspaper business, with art being a secondary activity. From 1917 to 1929, she was registrar at the Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy and was also a society editor for the "El Paso Herald" and the "El Paso Times".
Then she won the WPA commission to paint the murals in Enid, and in 1937 settled permanently in that town. For 25 years, she served as staff artist for the Harlow Publishing Company, and many of her illustrations had western themes. She also taught at the Municipal Art Gallery. Much of her fine art painting was completed in her spare time from her professional jobs. On some of her paintings, she signed her last name "Auger."
Source:
"An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West" by Phil Kovinick and Marian Yoshiki-Kovinick
"Texas Painters, Sculptors & Graphic Artists" by John and Deborah Powers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
At age 19, Ruth won an art scholarship to the New York School of Art where she studied under William Merritt Chase. Although she loved fine art, she never pursued it full time. She held many jobs in publishing and in 1937 won the commission to paint murals in Enid, Oklahoma. In 1937 Augur had completed a 1136 square foot mural of the history of the Cherokee strip run for the Enid Courthouse.
Courtesy: Best of the West Auction, Colorado Springs, CO
|
| ** If you discover credit omissions or have additional information to add, please let us know at registrar@AskART.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|